US drillers cut oil and gas rig count to lowest

The US energy firms this week cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating to the lowest since January 2022, reported energy services firm Baker Hughes in its closely followed report on Friday.

The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, fell by four to 590 in the week to June 14, 2024. That puts the countdown for the second week in a row.

Baker Hughes said the total rig count is down 97 rigs, or 14%, below this time last year. Oil rigs fell by four to 488 this week, also their lowest since January 2022, while gas rigs were unchanged at 98, which was the lowest since October 2021.

In Texas, the state with almost half of the country's active rigs, the total count slid by 2 to 285, the lowest number of rigs operating in the state since January 2022.

The oil and gas rig count dropped about 20% in 2023 after rising by 33% in 2022 and 67% in 2021, due to a decline in oil and gas prices, higher labor and equipment costs from soaring inflation and as companies focused on paying down debt and boosting shareholder returns instead of raising output.

The US oil futures were up about 10% so far in 2024 after dropping by 11% in 2023, while US gas futures were up about 15% so far in 2024 after plunging by 44% in 2023.

The increase in oil prices should encourage drillers to boost US crude output from a record 12.9 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2023 to 13.2 million bpd in 2024 and 13.7 million bpd in 2025, according to the latest US Energy Information Administration (EIA) outlook.

Even though gas futures were trading higher now, several producers reduced spending on drilling activities earlier in the year after prices drop to 3-1/2-year lows in February and March.

The drilling decline should cause US gas output to slide to 102.1 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2024, down from a record high of 103.8 bcfd in 2023, according to the EIA.

 

US drillers cut oil and gas rigs for third week

US energy firms this past week cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating for a third week in a row, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in its closely followed report on Friday.

The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, fell by two to 603 in the week to May 10, the lowest since January 2022.

This puts the total rig count down 128, or 18% below this time last year.

Oil rigs fell three to 496 this week, their lowest since November, while gas rigs rose one to 103.

In Texas, drillers cut the number of rigs operating this week by three, leaving 289 active rigs, which was still the most in any state but the lowest in Texas since February 2022. The state with the second most rigs operating is New Mexico at 109.

The oil and gas rig count dropped about 20% in 2023 after rising by 33% in 2022 and 67% in 2021, due to a decline in oil and gas prices, higher labor and equipment costs from soaring inflation and as companies focused on paying down debt and boosting shareholder returns instead of raising output.

US oil futures were up about 9% so far in 2024 after dropping by 11% in 2023. US gas futures, meanwhile, were down about 10% so far in 2024 after plunging by 44% in 2023.

That increase in oil prices should encourage drillers to boost US crude output. The government this week slightly lowered its production outlook for this year to 13.2 million barrels per day (bpd), which is still up from the record 12.9 million in 2023. It forecast a slightly bigger 13.7 million bpd of output in 2025.

Occidental Petroleum said this week it expects to increase oil production in the Permian basin in the second half of 2024, with gains in efficiency allowing the company to reduce the rig count in the top US oil field.

The drop in gas prices to 3-1/2-year lows in February and March has already caused several producers to slash spending and reduce drilling activities, which should cause US gas output to drop to 103.0 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2024 from a record 103.8 bcfd in 2023, according to the EIA.